A Lake County Common Pleas Court judge ruled that in order for a Willoughby Hills man to use any funds he acquired because of his wife’s death, a written request must be submitted to the court and the court must then give approval.
Kevin Knoefel, 43, is accused of convincing his foster daughter, 18-year-old Sabrina Zunich, to kill his 41-year-old wife, Lisa Knoefel, on Nov. 16. In addition to the criminal case, Kevin Knoefel also faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit.
At a two hour hearing in the wrongful death suit, attorney Susan Seacrist, representing Susan Richlak, the administrator of Lisa Knoefel’s estate, argued that all of Kevin Knoefel’s assets should be restrained, as he obtained life insurance benefits after his wife’s death and is now accused of her murder.
“I simply want to preserve the status quo for the beneficiaries who may eventually have a right to inherit this money,” Richlak said. “They keep talking about ‘his assets, his money.’ Well, it may not be his money.”
Kevin Knoefel received $785,000 in life insurance benefits following the death of his wife. He made a number of purchases in the coming months, including paying off $210,000 on the family’s Willoughby Hills home where the alleged murder took place and buying a $225,000 home in Florida.
Michael Connick, Kevin Knoefel’s attorney in both the criminal and civil cases, said all of the purchases were made before Knoefel was indicted for the death.
“He had received life insurance proceeds in a lawful fashion,” Connick said. “He was allowed to do with it what he wants.”
A point of contention between the two sides involved Kevin Knoefel’s 401(k) retirement plan. Connick argued the account, which contains about $100,000, was funded solely by Kevin Knoefel through his employment and thus should not be restrained.
Judge Eugene Lucci agreed, ordering that the account can be liquidated without alerting the court if Kevin Knoefel desires. If the defendant or any powers of attorneys want to liquidate, dispose, incumber or diminish value of any other assets, prior court approval must be given.
Connick added they do plan to liquidate the account in order to pay for attorney fees.
“We’re not here to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes,” he said. “(Kevin Knoefel) did nothing between the point in time when his wife was tragically murdered until the time he was taken into police custody to give anyone the impression that he was going to act with any fashion that was inappropriate.”
Additionally, Lucci ordered that all insurance policies and all powers of attorneys be provided to the plaintiff. The orders must be completed within 30 days and the documents will be sealed under an “attorneys’ eyes only” protective order.
Kevin Knoefel, who is being housed at the Lake County Jail on $3 million bond, faces a maximum of life in prison without parole if convicted of six counts of sexual battery, three counts of complicity to commit aggravated murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.
Zunich, the couple’s foster daughter, is accused of stabbing Lisa Knoefel 27 times in their Willoughby Hills home. She is being held in jail on $750,000 bond.
According to the criminal indictment against Kevin Knoefel, he and Zunich discussed plans to kill his wife and make the incident look like a burglary. He is also accused of having an illegal sexual relationship with Zunich.
The criminal trial is set to continue in March.

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